Black-collared barbet

Birds of Namibia

Introduction: Black-collared
barbets (Lybius torquatus) find their way to woodland where wild figs and
other such fruiting trees grow. Torquatus is the Latin phrase for
(literally) 'adorned with a (collared) necklace' and Lybius is a Greek
word mentioned by Aristotle and Aristophanes.

Distribution: Although they
are one of the most widely distributed barbets on the continent, they are absent
from any dry regions restricting their range from some rare observations around
the Kunene River to scattered populations in the Oshakati wetland areas. They
are most common in Namibia in the Caprivi region extending to Victoria
Falls and south to the Okavango Delta.

Diet: Feeds on fruit and
seeds, but also takes flying insects and termites.

Description: Medium-sized to
large barbets with large deep bills.

Breeding: Females lay between
2 and 5 eggs in nests pecked in softwood trees on the underside of sloping dead
branches in October to December. Incubation periods are 18 days performed by
both male and female.